Self-adjusting headlights for boats



Jan. 12, 1960 B. TAYLOR 2,921,182

SELF-ADJUSTING HEADLIGHTS FOR BOATS Filed Aug. 8, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1-7 1 INVENTOR.

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'24 \"L ATTORNEY 5 Jan. 12, 1960 B. 1.. TAYLOR SELF-ADJUSTING HEADLIGHTSFOR BOATS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. e, 1958 INVENTOR.

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' ATTORNE\(S United States Patent 2,921,182 SELEADJUSTING HEADLIGHTS FORBOATS,

Buford L. Taylor, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application August 8, 1958, Serial No. 753,930

2 Claims. 01. 240-521 This invention relates to headlight assemblies,and more particularly to a self-adjusting headlight particularly adaptedforum on a boat, the headlight being provided with means toautomatically maintain same in a level position.

A main object of the invention is to provide a selfadjusting headlightassembly particularly useful on a boat or similar vehicle, said assemblybeing simple in construction, being easy to install, and beingadjustable to regulate the degree of free swinging action thereof.

- A further object of the invention is to provide animprovedself-adjusting spotlight assembly especially useful adjustingspotlight assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the spotlight assemblyillustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken on theline 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional view taken on theline 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of another form of selfadjustingspotlight assembly constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the self-adjusting spotlightassembly of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken on theline 77 of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 to 4, 11generally designates a self-adjusting spotlight assembly particularlyuseful for mounting on a small boat, for example, a boat of the typehaving side walls 12 provided with outwardly extending horizontalflanges 13. The assembly 11 comprises a bracket member 14 consisting ofa main vertical bar portion 15 formed at its lower end with a downwardlyand laterally inclined bar element 16 terminating in the horizontal footportion 17. At its top end the bar member 15 is formed with thehorizontally extending arm portion 18 of substantial width whichterminates in a depending apertured lug element 19 located substantiallyin vertical alignment with said foot portion 17.

Designated at 20 is a generally S-shaped anchor bracket having ahorizontal top arm 21 which is fastened to the foot member 17 by a rivet22; The anchor member 20 has the horizontally extending bottom element23 through which is threaded the clamping screw 24 provided at its topend with the clamping disc element 25. As shown in Figure 1, the anchormember 20 is adapted to engage around the flange 13 on the top edge of aside wall or other wall of the boat, for example, the side wall 12,whereby the anchor member 20 may be rigidly secured 2 to the flange 13by tightening the wing screw 24. This anchors the bracket member 14in anupstanding position on the top flange 13, as is clearly shown in Figure3.

Designated at 26 is a flat bar member which is pivotally connected atits intermediate portion to the apertured depending lug 19 for swingingmovement relative thereto. Thus, a pivot bolt 27 closely underlieshorizontal arm 21 and extends through the lug 19 and the intermediateportion of the flat bar 26, said lug being provided at its outer portionwith a wing nut 28 and being provided on its inner portion with a coilspring 29 which bears between the lug 19 and a bearing washer 30 mountedon the bolt 27 adjacent its head 31. The amount of tension in spring 29may be regulated by adjusting the wing nut 28 on the threaded shank ofthe bolt, whereby the degree of freedom of bar member 26 for swingingmovement relative to the lug 19 may be controlled. Horizontal arm 18overlies and protects pivot bolt 27 and friction spring 29.

Designated at 31 is a conventional headlight assembly which is providedwith the spaced parallel depending supporting lugs 34, 34 which engageon opposite sides of the top end of the flat bar member 26. A transversefasten ing bolt 35 extends through the lugs 34, 34 and the interveningtop'end portion of bar 26, said fastening bolt 35 being provided on itsouter end portion with a wing nut 36. Thus, the headlight assembly 31may be clamped to the top end portion of the bar member 26 in a desiredposition of angular adjustment relative thereto, for example, in aposition wherein its axis extends at right angles to the bar member 26.

Designated at 37 is a rigid battery box provided with the hinged topcover 38. The bar member 26 is provided at its bottom end withhorizontally extending flange portions 39, 39 which are rigidly securedto the central portion of the top cover 38, whereby the battery box 37is supported by the bar member 26. a Box 37 contains a suitable battery40 which is electrically connected by a suitable cable 41 to theheadlight assembly 31, said headlight assembly being provided with acontrol switch 42 located on the top of its casing and beingconveniently available for manual operation.

The battery box 37 and the battery 40 contained therein are ofsubstantial weight and serve as a biasing means for maintaining the barmember 26 substantially in a vertical position. As shown, the batterybox 37 is disposed in the space between the horizontal top arm 18 andthe inclined floor portion 16 of the main bracket member 14, and ampleclearance is provided for allowing the box 37 to swing in said space.Thus, the battery box will serve to bias the headlight assembly 31toward a desired normal position, for example, to a position wherein thebeam from the headlight will be directed horizontally. By adjusting thewing nut 28 the sensitivity of response of the biasing means may beregulated in accordance with prevailing conditions, for example, withaccordance with the roughness of the water in which the craft istraveling.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7, theheadlight assembly, shown at 31 is provided with a depending tubularsupporting sleeve 34 which receives the top end of a vertical bar member26' whose intermediate portion is pivotally connected to the dependinglug 19 of the main bracket member 14 in the same manner as illustratedin Figures 1 to 4. Molded on the lower portion of the flat bar member26' is a mass of relatively heavy material, such as lead, or the like,shown at 37, acting as the weighting means for biasing the bar member26' toward a vertical position. The embodiment of Figures 5, 6 and 7 isparticularly intended as a permanent installation on a somewhat largercraft than the type for which the form of the invention of Figures 1 to4 is intended, for example, a craft provided with a storage battery.Thus, the headlight assembly 31' is connected V A r-- A by suitablecable '41'-to the-storage battery of the boat 7through-a-suitablecontrol switch 42 schematically illustrated in Figure6 and located in any convenient location, for example, on the instrumentpanel of the boat.

' 'The top portion of the bar member 26' isreceived in the tubularsleeve '34 and is fastened therein by any suitable means, for example,"a transversely extending bolt 35 provided at its outer end with a-wingnut 36. The bottom foot portion'17 is fastened directly to anyconvenient horizontally extending surface portion of the boat, forexample, the horizontally extending wall 13', by 'means of any suitablemeans, for example, a pair of fastening bolts 22'.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved self- 'adjustingspotlight assembly have been disclosed in the foregoing description, itwill be understood that various modifications within the spirit of theinvention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it isintended that no limitations be placed on the invention exceptas definedby the' scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: V V

1. In a self-adjusting spotlight assembly of the characterdescribed, abracket member of substantial vertical height, laterally offsetanchoring means on the lower end of said bracket member constructed andarranged to secure said bracket member in an upstanding position on anunderlying support,-a horizontal arm of substantial width on the top endof said bracket member extending :over and terminating substantially invertical alignment with said anchoring means, a depending lugelementextending vertically from the end of said arm, a bar memberadjacent said lug element, a horizontal pivot bolt "closely underlyingsaid horizontal arm and extending through and pivotally connecting theintermediate portion :of said bar member and said lug element, africtionspring on said bolt, bearing between one end portion of the"bolt and said lugelement said spring urging said bar member againstsaid lug element and retarding swinging 'movementof said bar memberrelativeto said bracket member, a horizontally directed lamp unitsecured to the top end of said bar member, and a weight secured to thelower end of said bar member and biasing said bar member to asubstantially vertical position.

2. In a self-adjusting spotlight assembly of the character described, abracket member of substantial vertical height, laterally oflsetanchoring means on the lower end of said bracket member constructed andarranged-to secure said bracket member in an upstanding position on anunderlying support, a horizontal arm of substantial width on the topendof said bracket member extending over and terminating substantially invertical alignment with said anchoring means, a depending lug elementextending vertically from the end of said arm, a bar member adjacentsaid lug element, a horizontal pivot bolt closely underlying saidhorizontal arm and extending through and pivotally connecting theintermediate portion of said bar member and said lug element, a frictionspring on said bolt, said spring bearing between one end portion of thebolt and said lug element, said spring urging said bar number againstsaid lug element and retarding swinging-movement of said bar memberrelative to said bracket member, means to adjust the tension of saidspring, a lamp unit secured to the top end of saidbar member, and aweight member secured to the lower end of said bar member and biasingsaid bar member to a substantially vertical position, said weight membercomprising a battery case and a battery in said case electricallyconnected to said lamp unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED, STATES PATENTS1,904,248 Pixley et a1 Apr. 18, 1933 1,971,757 Nerem Aug. 28, 19342,623,158 Crumrine et al Dec. 23, 1952

